BLU-RAY REVIEW: The Boy Next Door

[JessHorsley]

Jennifer Lopez Stars In Steamy - And Completely Ridiculous - Thriller...

Fans of Jennifer Lopez and ridiculous suspense thrillers will want to check out The Boy Next Door, available now on Blu-ray and DVD. The latest film to hit home video staring the dancer-turned-actress-turned-singer-turned-actress delivers an entertaining and ludicrous story in which Ms. Lopez plays Mrs. Claire Peterson, a high school teacher who has a one-night stand with a high school student. When the student, an obsessive/compulsive violent maniac, tries to blackmail Mrs. Peterson after she considers returning to her estranged husband, things turn from bad to worse and Mrs. Peterson is forced to consider how far she's willing to go to protect not just her reputation but her life and the lives of the ones she loves.

There's something oddly familiar about The Boy Next Door and its disturbing storyline, which seems to be taken from both a modern-day news headline and a cheap fictional erotic novel. Written by first-time screenwriter Barbara Curry and directed by Rob Cohen (xXx, The Fast and the Furious), The Boy Next Door has one of those plot lines that's at once awkwardly arousing and, at the same time, entirely revolting. A high school teacher having an illicit affair with a high school student (in this case, an 18 year old Senior, as if that makes it at least legally OK?) doesn't seem too far fetched...but when the relationship turns sour and results in broken hearts and dead bodies...well...what's not to at least find intriguing?

It's odd to me - as a former teacher myself - that Mrs. Peterson, obviously a smart teacher, falls into a mess like what's portrayed here in the first place. Sure, she's going through a messy break up with her husband, a jerk who had an affair with his secretary. However, that's still not reason enough for her to put her career, son and marriage on the line. Having an affair with her son's teenage friend and a student at the school where she teaches isn't just a firing offense, it's the one "no no" that doesn't just end careers, but lands teachers - supposedly responsible adults - in prison. I'd like to think Mrs. Peterson is smarter than this which is why this movie's plot simply didn't work that well for me.

Does this happen in real life? Sure. Do smart teachers who have teenage sons and estranged husbands do this sort of thing, risking not just their careers and relationship but also jail time? I'm not so sure. Oddly enough, there are plenty of movies like this hitting theaters and home video nowadays; a sexually frustrated person seeks to fulfilled their primal needs at the hands of an emotionally unstable other and the result is anything but love and butterflies and happily ever after. Is it really that shocking things would turn out badly? While the story in The Boy Next Door has some dynamic action as well as some unexpected consequences; there's nothing that really stands out or makes the movie that unique...except maybe J-Lo, who is - as always - attractive and fun to watch. She's beautiful and talented and, while this isn't one of her better films, she does her part to keep viewers watching the screen.

As far as video and audio, the blu-ray includes a sharp picture in beautiful 1080p as well as a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack that provides adequate sound. The picture is really the star as colors are brought to life throughout; bright and clear with little fuzz or blur. While the vocals are the main focus of the soundtrack, there are a few background effects - such as rain and thunder - which present, though they're not overly used. Overall, the blu-ray provides the technical quality expected from HD.

As for bonus material, the blu-ray disc includes three special features: a 9-minute "The Making of The Boy Next Door" which provides a brief look at the film's story, themes, characters and the creation of the film; a collection of five deleted scenes; and an audio commentary with director Rob Cohen, which provides interesting tidbits of information regarding the film's budget, the casting and story development, the film's style and design, and more. While nothing here is overly impressive, for film-fans who love a few extras to help them connect with cast and crew (specifically directors who talk shop), these are maybe worth a watch and listen.

Overall, The Boy Next Door isn't anything special; though the allure of Jennifer Lopez and an erotic thriller that seem to be disturbing, delusional, intense, awkward, and all around ridiculous...not to mention a bit of fun too. While the movie isn't going to win any awards, it does entertain and keep viewers watching and wondering what will happen next. You can find out what's next in The Boy Next Door, now available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital wherever fine home video is sold.

- Jess C. Horsley

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